Identify meat infected with African swine fever

African swine fever has now spread to 13 provinces and cities across the country. The disease does not infect humans but causes damage to farmers. To choose safe pork, the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) guides people on how to identify meat infected with African swine fever.

Accordingly, pigs infected with African swine fever will have hemorrhagic spots under the skin, on the ear rims that look like mosquito bites. The four legs, abdomen, and chest of the pig are purple-blue. When dissected, the pig has bloody fluid in the abdomen and chest cavity. All internal organs and body are hemorrhagic, the spleen is enlarged, the lymph nodes are large, the lungs are not collapsed, the trachea is bloody, contains a lot of foam, the kidneys are hemorrhagic, the stomach lining is ulcerated, the intestines are blocked and contain blood.

Pigs infected with swine fever can be identified with the naked eye. If the meat has a strange color such as brown, gray, dark red, light green, the skin is dotted with hemorrhages, the pig's ears are purple, when touched it feels slimy, oozing... then it is spoiled meat or diseased pork.

Healthy pork has a natural bright red color, bright white fat, skin without spots or unusual marks, and when pressed with a finger it does not dent, stick, or leak.

According to physician Bui Dac Sang, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology,In addition to the risk of African swine fever, pork can also be contaminated with growth hormones, lean meat additives or preservatives..How to identify as follows:

Identify clean pork with weight-gained, super lean meat

Super lean pork due to chemicals has a stronger fishy smell than clean pork, a thin layer of fat, the lean and fat parts are separate from each other. The meat will have an unusually dark red color, bright and shiny, the skin may have red spots. A simple test is to cut the meat into 3-4 cm thick pieces, if the meat cannot stand straight, it is pork raised for growth.

Clean pork when boiled has clear water, no dirty scum. When cooked, the meat expands, does not release water, and has a fragrant smell. Super lean meat or meat fed with growth-enhancing feed, when boiled, often has a lot of scum, the water has a foul smell, when fried, releases a lot of water, and is dry to eat.

Identify clean pork with meat soaked in preservatives

Meat marinated with preservatives looks bright red but the fibers are firm and lose elasticity. Cut deep inside, the meat is quite soft, oozing liquid, slightly dark in color, and has an odor. This type of meat, when washed, will turn pale and have a very unpleasant fishy smell, the fat will be yellow. When cooked, the spoiled meat juice will be cloudy, smell bad, the surface fat will separate into small circles instead of large floating scum like fresh meat.

Experts recommend that to avoid buying diseased pork, consumers should buy meat at reputable places such as supermarkets and stores specializing in providing clean meat. Do not buy pork at places of unknown origin, places with a lot of dust, flies, and no cover just because of cheap prices.

Adhere to eating cooked food, boiled water, do not eat raw blood pudding or undercooked pork. When preparing pork, consumers need to wash the meat with diluted salt water before cooking, wash hands before and after cooking. After cooking, eat immediately, avoid leaving it for too long, creating conditions for bacteria to invade. Do not place cooked food next to raw food or preparation tools. Tools such as knives and cutting boards need to be washed before preparing other foods.